US drilling rig count falls 26 units to 1,800

The US drilling rig count fell by 26 units during the week ended Nov. 2, with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,800, reported Baker Hughes Inc. This compares with 2,026 rigs working during the comparable week last year.

Land rigs plunged by 26 units to 1,733. Rigs drilling in inland waters increased by 1 unit to 16 rigs. This gain was offset by a single-rig drop-off of rigs drilling offshore, which reached 51 units this week. Of these 51 rigs, 48 were drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, unchanged from last week.

Of the recent week’s total, rigs drilling for oil decreased by 35 units to 1,373. Rigs targeting gas gained 8 units to 424. Three active rotaries were unclassified, 1 more than a week ago.

Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 195, down 14 from a week ago and 48 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally remained unchanged this week at 1,105 units. This compares with 1,157 in the comparable week a year ago.

Of the major oil and gas producing states, Texas fell by 20 units to 840 rigs working this week. Colorado, down 7 rigs, and North Dakota, down 6 rigs, reached respective counts of 56 and 174 this week. California and Alaska, at 33 and 7, respectively, were down 2 rigs each. New Mexico was down 1 rig to 81 units. Pennsylvania was unchanged this week with 66 rigs drilling. Four states gained 1 rig this week: Louisiana, 110; Wyoming, 51; West Virginia, 25; and Arkansas, 18. Ohio gained 2 units to reach 27 rigs, and Oklahoma, at 192, was up 6 rigs.

Canada’s rig count was 383, a gain of 13 units this week. This count includes 291 rigs drilling for oil and 92 units drilling for gas. The total was down 93 units from the comparable week last year.